Will the Maori Party co-leaders stay on?

Maori Party co-leaders Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples have revealed they are reconsidering retiring from politics next election – just as a new poll shows them potentially holding the balance of power.

Mrs Turia and Dr Sharples had indicated that the 2011 election would be their last.

But they are reconsidering after being asked repeatedly by supporters, a party official said.

Mrs Turia, 68, confirmed that last night on Prime News.

“It may well be that we stand at the next election but … we are still working those issues through,” she said.

And Dr Sharples, 70, also confirmed a rethink. “I’m giving that real consideration,” he told the channel from China, where he is leading a Maori business delegation.

I won’t be surprised if they do stay on, as retirements in 2017 would make it more likely the Maori Party continues as a semi-significant force.

It is worth noting there wil be new boundaries in 2014, with at least eight Maori seats. That may provide an opportunity for them to get a new female MP into Parliament, so she can replace Turia as female co-leader.

Flavell is up to taking over from Sharples as male co-leader, but the worry for the Maori Party may be more that they would lose Sharples’ seat if he stands down.

tvb

Positan

Neither of them ever seem to put the interests of the country first – it’s always only what would be, or would not be, good for Maori.

Surely there has to be far more than just “political” substance to a race-based party, especially when almost every statistic in respect of those it purports to represent are as uniformly and encompassingly bad in so many “social” areas.

Alan Johnstone

Meaningless really, if they hold the balance of power in two yeas time, they will support a labour led administration. Thee people will give hrem no choice in the matte and enough Clark people will be gone to make it OK to do so.

They only suppot national now because the choice is opposition, if national actually needed them, they wouldn’t do it.

It will be 7 years at the next redistricting, not the usual five (so more opportunity for simple demographic changes to filter through), and with the Canterbury earthquake perhaps depressing growth in the South Island population, the likelihood of an increase to at least 7.5 seats (which would get rounded up to 8) has to be pretty high. Can’t rule out some fundamental shift in Maori attitudes to the Maori roll, but it seems to me that an increase to 8 is well on the cards.

RKBee

There will come a time soon when the apartheid party do hold the balance of power. All those who dislike the race based handouts we see now will fair shit themselves at what the apartheid party manage to get from the party who is most desperate to be in power.

I would wager that those who moan the most will be the same lazy bastards who did not bother to vote in the MMP referendum.

adam2314

Shazzadude

“and with the Canterbury earthquake perhaps depressing growth in the South Island population,”

Given we have a minimum 17 South Island seat rule, if the Christchurch population depression has a significant effect on the South Island population we will have slightly smaller electorates, and this would likely translate to an increase in North Island electorates.

On the Maori Party, Tamaki Makaurau (or whatever it will be after the new redistribution) will almost certainly be lost to Labour. Tariana probably has enough of a majority that blooding a new candidate could be possible in Te Tai Hauauru.

Adam2314 – You moron, every citizen gets two votes. A party vote, and an electorate vote. That electorate vote can either be used in a general or Maori seat. You cannot vote in a general seat if you are on the Maori roll, and vice versa. Maori do not get extra votes.

Manolo

KevinH

The Maori Party will hold the balance of power in 2014, they could go left or right depending on who has the best deal for them. The current leadership of Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples may decide to stay on into the next term and continue building upon their successes to date.